Breakdown container

ABSTRACT

A breakdown container may be assembled from standard sized panels including a base panel and wall panels. Each panel features a beveled portion along each edge thereof. Further, pins and sockets impart interlocking capabilities to the panels. The base panel serves as a pallet for cargo. The container is compatible with proposed NATO requirements as well as commercial and military specifications.

States Patent Inventor John Darrell Blaisdell Torrance, Calif. Appl. No. 825,769 Filed May 19,1969 Patented June 15, 1971 Assignee TRW Inc.

Redondo Beach, Calif.

BREAKDOWN CONTAINER 3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

11.8. CI 220/4R, 217/65, 217/69 lnt. (ll 865d 7/24, B65d 11/18 Field of Search 220/4; 217/65, 69

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,824,900 9/1931 Kaufman 217/65 UX 3,261,493 7/1966 Smith 220/4 X 3,288,319 11/1966 Cahill 217/65 X Primary Examiner-George E. Lowrance Altorneys-Daniel T. Anderson, William B. Leach and Donald W. Graves ABSTRACT: A breakdown container may be assembled from standard sized panels including a base panel and wall panels. Each panel features a beveled portion along each edge thereof. Further, pins and sockets impart interlocking capabilities to the panels. The base panel serves as a pallet for cargo. The container is compatible with proposed NATO requirements as well as commercial and military specifications.

PATENTED JUHI 5mm 3" 584,757

sum 1 or 2 John D. B|OiSd|| INVENTOR.

UiZZQ/m ATTORNEY PATENTEUJUNI SIB?! 3.584.757

sum 2 OF 2 John D. Bloisdell INVENTOR.

MZM 3 9 j ATTORNEY IBERIEAKDOWN CONTAHNEIR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the field of shipping containers, and more particularly to breakdown or knockdown containers. The invention is particularly suited for containerizing cargo.

As I have explained in the specification of application Ser. No. 75 3,264, entitled Knock-Down Container, the cargo transportation industry has for several years been developing and evaluating the containerization of goods. Goods shipped to a buyer may take on an infinite number of shapes, and have innumerable handling requirements. Placing goods in containers of relatively standard size and shape may be and is referred to as containerization. Intermodel transportation, a combination of shipping by truck, rail, ship or air, is finding increased emphasis as containerization is developed. Containerization serves to automate the handling of freight, individual items of cargo need not be transferred from carrier to carrier or from carrier to customer. Other advantages are also significant. Containerization reduces loss of small goods, pilferage, and damage. These advantages assist in rendering better service to customers and the lowering of insurance rates for both the customer and the carrier. Further, transporting empty containers is necessarily a costly operation. Most of the shipping containers used in the transportation industry are rigid in shape and displace a fixed volume of cargo space.

The typical containers used in the transportation industry are either structural or nonstructural. A structural container is one wherein stress loads are transmitted by the container walls into the container base. The walls become an integral part of the container. On the other hand, a nonstructural container is one wherein the walls merely form a cover for a base or pallet. The container walls do not transmit any stress to the base. The present invention is directed to structural containers.

When a station or terminal is short of containers, empty or spare containers must be shipped to that station. An empty container occupies the volume of the space that would normally be taken by a full container. The transportation of empty containers is expensive. A solution to this problem proposed herein is to provide a structural container that meets certain specifications adopted by both military and commercial agencies. The container disclosed herein is easily assembled and requires no special tools or devices. The assembly and disassembly sequence requires no special knowledge or training for the using personnel.

The container of the present invention has interchangeable elements or membem. Damaged portions may be easily replaced. Furthermore, when present rigid'type containers are damaged, they must be sent to a repair shop. During the time the container is being repaired the container is out of service and is, therefore, adding to operating costs. In the present invention only the member of the container having been damaged need be taken out of service.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a base panel serves as a pallet upon which cargo may be carried. Five wall panels serve to form the sidewalls and top of the container. Each of the six panels which make up the container has a beveled portion along each edge thereof. For interlocking the panels together, each panel has a number of sockets formed normally to the beveled edge portions and located so as to register with a socket of an adjacent assembled panel. A like number of pins or other suitable fasteners engage the sockets of adjacent panels. When assembled, any one of the panel members may be removed from the container for access thereto. The container, when assembled, is effectively a monocoque construction.

The base panel and wall panels may be joined together in several combinations to form containers of differing size. Means are provided for joining two or more base panels together so as to form an enlarged pallet. Similarly, means are provided for joining two or more wall panels together so as to increase the length and height of the basic container.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved breakdown shipping container.

it is a further object of the present invention to provide a knockdown shipping container which is particularly suited to the containerization industry.

it is another object of the present invention to provide a shipping container which may be assembled and disassembled quickly by relatively unskilled personnel and without special tools.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a knockdown shipping container having the feature of interchangeability of parts.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide components for a knockdown shipping container which may be assembled into differing container configurations.

The aforementioned and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent when taken in conjunction with the following description and drawings throughout which like characters indicate like elements and which drawings form a part of this application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FlG. 11 is an exploded view in perspective showing the general arrangement of the parts forming a shipping container embodying the present invention;

H6. 2 is a partial view in partial cross section showing the manner in which a wall panel is joined to the base panel of the container;

FIG. 3 is a partial view in cross section showing the manner in which the wall panels of H6. 1 may be joined;

FIGS. l and 5 are perspective views of two varying configurations of containers formed by combining two containers as shown in FIG. ll so as to increase the internal volume to a multiple of the basic container volume;

FIG. (5 is a broken perspective view of the expansion joint used to join the basic containers of F I05. 4 and 5; and

FIG. '7 is a partial view in perspective and cross section showing the manner in which the expansion joint of FIG. 6 is used to join two panels in end-to-end relationship.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 there is illustrated a knockdown container embodying the present invention. The container 10 includes a base panel 111 and five wall panels 112-116.

Each panel of the container is characterized by its sandwich construction which provides for high strength and low weight. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 each panel is comprised of a thin load carrying outer sheet 17, M such as stainless steel fiberglass or aluminum. Sandwiched between these sheets is a low density filler material 26) such as paper or aluminum honeycomb or a foam material. Along the periphery of each panel is an endpiece 211. The endpiece 21 serves to rigidly join the outer sheets 1'7, 18, to protect and confine the filler 20, and to act as a joint element for connecting one panel to another.

To facilitate the connection or mating of one panel to another, each endpiece is provided with a beveled surface portion. This is clearly seen in FIG. 2 where endpiece 21b of base panel ill has a beveled surface 22b. The beveled surface on each endpiece may be such as to provide a mitered corner joint such as is utilized in the cabinet making industry. As further seen in FIG. 2, the beveled edge 22b of base panel 11 is provided with steps 23, 24. Additionally, the beveled portion on the endpiece of wall panel 115 has a shoulder 25a and a projection 26: each of which engage steps 23b, 24b of base panel it. These features of the wall panel and base panel assist in bringing the two panels together into proper alignment.

A similar joint is formed between the wall panels 112, 16. This is shown in FIG. 3 wherein a portion of the comer joint between vertical wall panel 16 and vertical wall panel i2 is shown. In this joint or connection it may be seen that the endpiece of wall panel l2 has formed in the beveled portion steps 23a, 24a. These steps are designed to receive in close fitting relationship the shoulder 25b and projection 26b of the endpiece of wall panel 15.

Most or all of the containers now used in the containerization industry have access thereto through only one face of the container. In other words, one side of the container may be a hinged or removable door panelplt will be appreciated from the drawings and the foregoing description that any one of the panels of the container described herein may be removed. This feature is also ascribed to the base panel. This feature imparts to the container a great degree of utility. The top wall panel may be removed and the container loaded from the top. n the other hand, a side wall panel may be removed and the container loaded from the side. As indicated in FIG. 1, each wall panel may be provided with a latch mechanism 32 for releasably securing each panel to the adjacent panels. Additionally, goods may be loaded onto the base panel and the assembled wall panels lowered over the goods into engagement with the base panel.

The panels may be interlocked by means of the pin and socket arrangements shown in FIG. 3. Each endpiece 21 has formed therethrough a socket 33 positioned to register with a socket of a mating panel. Each socket 33 is angularly aligned in the panel endpiece so as to intersect the mitered edges at right angles. A pin 34, FIG. I, may be inserted into the aligned sockets of mated panels. The pins may be retained in the sockets by any one of many suitable methods such as providing for an interference fit or for threaded retention.

A series of sockets 33, as shown in FIG. I, may be provided. The panels may then be effectively interlocked and the assembled container becomes one of monocoque construction. That is to say, stress loads will be distributed from one wall to another. Therefore, the container may be made relatively lightweight and retain structural integrity.

It is preferred to have a base panel which measures 40 by 48 inches and a wall panel height of 48 inches. A basic container may then be formed which is of commercially recognized standard size. The base panel would then be consistent in size with what is commonly referred to as a grocers pallet. The panel thicknesses will largely be dictated by the expected cargo densities, handling systems, and stress loads due to the mode of transportation. As shown in FIG. 1, the base panel may be further characterized by lifting slots 35 for receiving the forks of a forklift tractor. Also, tiedown rings 36 may be provided for securing the base panel to a platform, such as the floor of a transport vehicle. Finally, wheels, indicated at 37, may be provided for additional utility.

The aforedescribed panels may be arranged in difierent ways to form containers of differing volume and shape. Two such configurations are shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The elongated expansion panel of FIG. 6 is used to arrange two wall panels or base panels into end-to-end planer arrangement. For example, the wall panels 12, 12a of FIG. 4 are so arranged. FIG. 7 shows the manner in which the expansion panel interconnects two wall panels.

In FIG. 7, lower wall panel 12 is connected to upper wall panel 120 by expansion panel 40. The beveled edge portions of the wall panels 12, 120 form a groove, essentially V-shaped, along the mating line of the wall panels. The expansion panel 40 has sockets 81 formed therethrough which align with the sockets 33 of the wall panels 12, 12a. Again, pins may be inserted into the aligned sockets to interconnect the panels. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 5, a U-shaped pin fastener 42 may be used in place of or in conjunction with the aforementioned plnS.

The beveled edge portion of the panels enables the panels to be assembled into a common plane for use as a platform. This is of particular advantage in the shipment of military oods to distant points. The container need not be returned to t e point of shipment. Instead, the container may be used as a base or platform for fieldhousing. To do this the various panels are placed on the ground with alternating surfaces upward. In other words, one panel is placed with its outer surface downward. The adjacent panel is placed with the outer surface upward. The beveled edge portions of adjacent panels then mate and may be fastened one to another by means of the pin and socket arrangements.

There has thus been described a breakdown container composed of several panels of standardized dimensions each featured by a beveled portion along each edge thereof. The panels may be interlocked by means of pin and socket arrangements. The described box is particularly suited to the containerization industry and is one which may be assembled by unskilled personnel, and without special tools. The standardized panels lend themselves to interchangeability of parts and may be combined to form a number of differing container configurations.

I claim:

1. A breakdown container for containerizing cargo, comprising:

a. a base panel for carrying cargo thereon;

b. a plurality of wall panels positionable on said base pane to form sides and top of the assembled container for enclosing cargo, each of said base and wall panels having a beveled edge portion on its outer edges and being designed to form mitered joints between assembled panels, each of said panels having sockets formed through and normal to said beveled surfaces and intersecting the beveled surface substantially midway between the panel walls and further located so as to register with a socket of an associated assembled panel; and

c. a plurality of fasteners each removably fastenable in a press-fit relationship within said registered sockets thereby interlocking said panels, whereby any one of said panels forming the container may be removed from the container for access thereto and whereby said panels may be fully disassembled for compact storage.

2. The breakdown container of claim 1 wherein each of said panels is further characterized by a step section formed along and intermediate each edge thereof and each beveled portion, each of said step sections being shaped to register with a step section on another panel therebyassisting in bringing two panels into proper alignment for interlocking one to another.

3. The breakdown container of claim 1 further comprising:

an elongated expansion panel for joining two panels end-toend in planar relationship and characterized by juxtaposed beveled edges defining a truncated cone in cross section, said expansion panel having sockets formed through and normal to the beveled surfaces and intersecting the beveled surface substantially midway between the parallel walls and further located so as to register with a socket of an associated assembled panel. 

1. A breakdown container for containerizing cargo, comprising: a. a base panel for carrying cargo thereon; b. a plurality of wall panels positionable on said base panel to form sides and top of the assembled container for enclosing cargo, each of said base and wall panels having a beveled edge portion on its outer edges and being designed to form mitered joints between assembled panels, each of said panels having sockets formed through and normal to said beveled surfaces and intersecting the beveled surface substantially midway between the panel walls and further located so as to register with a socket of an associated assembled panel; and c. a plurality of fasteners each removably fastenable in a press-fit relationship within said registered sockets thereby interlocking said panels, whereby any one of said panels forming the container may be removed from the container for access thereto and whereby said panels may be fully disassembled for compact storage.
 2. The breakdown container of claim 1 wherein each of said panels is further characterized by a step section formed along and intermediate each edge thereof and each beveled portion, each of said step sections being shaped to register with a step section on another panel thereby assisting in bringing two panels into proper alignment for interlocking one to another.
 3. The breakdown container of claim 1 further comprising: an elongated expansion panel for joining two panels end-to-end in planar relationship and characterized by juxtaposed beveled edges defining a truncated cone in cross section, said expansion panel having sockets formed through and normal to the beveled surfaces and intersecting the beveled surface substantially midway between the parallel walls and furtHer located so as to register with a socket of an associated assembled panel. 